V.

I have this patient. He's only a year old and at a young age, he's already battling Cancer. 

Okay. This is not him. Well let's just say that this is Baby V. Hang cute diba? With those pretty little eyes looking and staring at you. Well, he sort of looks like this baby. Anyway, back to the story, ayan, si Baby V. He's only a year old and is already diagnosed having Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Heartbreaking, I know.

Back when I was studying Oncology at school, we were taught that usually, cancer cells get to the blood last because of its powerful defenses. So usually had the impression that once you have cancer of the blood like AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia), you die. 

But from the months and years I have been working at the hospital and seeing these patients having this kind of illness, death would be bittersweet. Why? Just imagine..

You have AML, just like Baby V..

• His WBC count is 0.48! WBC or also known as White blood cells are responsible for fighting infections. Normal value is 4.3 to 10.8 x 10raised to 9 cells per liter. Just imagine that 0.48? Having no bullet to fight all those villains trying to attack you at the same time. Tragic. :(
• Non-Stop fever. I check him as often and as safely as I could and sadly he is always febrile. As much as I wanted to at least let him cool down, his body's not able to fight organisms causing his fever.

• Easy bruising or bleeding. Since baby V is still a baby, he thumbsucks and poor boy, he wounded his fingers and gums that easy. One prick from blood extraction and he bleeds like he's been stabbed.

• Weakness/ feeling so tired. Baby V is one patient who is giving us a hard time inserting an intravenous line cause he had very weak veins, and as a baby, they fear of mutilation so, they go wild when someone tries to touch them. But, that was a few days ago. Now that he's weak, he doesn't even have the energy to feel the prick of the needle anymore. When we were inserting the IV, his parents were crying saying: "Ang anak ko, ni hindi na umiyak nung natusok... Pagod na pagod na siya"

• Weight loss and appetite. V could not eat cause he vomits everything he takes in. Since his confinement, he's lost a lot of weight.

Awww. Poor V. I'm wishing him all the best in the world. He's too young to suffer yet to young to miss out on the world. I hope he can survive this, and to his parents who I believe are fighters, you too shall be blessed for giving your child the fighting chance he deserves.